Car-coupling.



E. B. REED.

GAR 'KIOUPLINGLv (Application led June 29, 1900.)

' (No Model.)

Patented Feb. I9, 59ml.

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llnrrnn Era-ras Parietti* trice.

ELMER B. REED, OF MODONALD, PENNSYLVANIA.

CARNCOUPLING.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters PatentV No. 668,216, dated February 19, 1901..

Application led June 29, 1900.

T0 all whom, it' may concern,.-

Beit known that I, ELMER B. REED, a citizen of the United States, residing at McDonald, in the county of Washington and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Car-Coupling, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in car-couplings.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of car-couplings, more especially that shown and described in Patent No. 651,513, granted to me June 12, 1900, and to dispense with the operating or lifting bar of such pat-ent and enable the rockshaft to be rotated for setting the car-coupling by the vertical movement of the catch.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view showing two draw-heads constructed in accordance with this invention, one of the knuckles being` closed and the other knuckle being open and arranged for automatic coupling. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of one of the draw-heads. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the sanne. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the knuckle. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the catch. Fig. 7 is a detail sectional View illustrating the manner of supporting the locking device or catch in an elevated position.

Like numerals of reference designate correspondin g parts in all the figures of the drawings.

l designates a draw-head, provided at one side with eyes 2 for the reception of a knuckle pin 3, which pivots a knuckle 4 to the drawhead. The knuckle is provided with an arm 5, having a recess 3LL at its extremity and provided at this recessed portion with a lower notch 3b, forming a projecting upper portion for a purpose hereinafter described. Within the draw-head is arranged a longitudinallyreciprocating spring-actuated plunger 6, having a longitudinal opening 6', through which the arm 5 of the knuckle swings.

The plunger 6, which is constructed substan Serial No. 22,076. (No model.)

tially the same as that shown and described in said Letters Patent, is actuated by a coiled spring 7, interposed between its rear end and the rear end of the draw-bar and housed within the latter. The outer end of the plunger is provided with an outwardly-extending angularly-disposed projection 9, and it has flanges at its top and bottom forming continuations of the front faces of the plunger and the projection 9. When the knuckle is closed, as illustrated at the right-hand. side of Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings, the ianges and the projection of the front end of the plunger lit snugly against the front of the drawhead and conform to the configuration of the same, and when the knuckle is open, as illustrated at the left-hand side of Eig. 1 of the drawings, the plunger is in position to be engaged by the knuckle of another drawhead, whereby it will be operated and moved inward when two cars come together for coupling.

The bottom of the plunger is provided with a recess 11, forming a shoulder 11 at its inner end for engaging an arm 30 of a rockshaft 28, as hereinafter described. The recess 11 is arranged at one side of the plunger, and at the opposite side of the same is located a laterally-offset portion 13, having a tapered or beveled front end and adapted to support a vertically-movable catch or locking device 15 in an elevated position preparatory to automatic coupling.

The locking device 15, which consists of a block or piece, is provided at its front end with an offset 18, and it has a pair of guide ribs or iianges 19 and 20 at its rear face. The guide ribs or flanges 19 and 20 terminate short of the bottom of the locking device, which is provided at one side with a vertical guide rib or iiange 21, extending the entire length of it. The lower end of the rear rib or flange 20 is beveled at 2Oa and is adapted to be engaged by the beveled offset portion 13 of the plnn` ger to lift the catch or locking device should the latter fall orbe lowered after the knuckle has been opened and before the plunger has moved outward under the inliuence lof the coiled spring 7.

The lower end of the locking device or catch lis provided with a loop 22, forming an opening and adapted to receive an arm 31 of the IOO said rock-shaft 28. The rock-shaft 28, which extends transversely of the draw-head at the bottom thereof, is journaled in suitable bearings of the same, and its arms 30 and 31 are located adjacent to its ends. The rock-shaft is disposed in rear of the lower portion of the locking-pin, and its arm 31, which is adapted to extend forward through the opening, is engaged by the locking device or catch when the same is raised and is carried to an upright position and is adapted to support the locking device or catch in such elevated position preparatory to the outward movement of the spring-actuated plunger. This rotation of the rock-shaft carries the arm 30 also to an upright position in a slot 30a of the draw-head, and when in this position it is arranged in the path of the shoulder 11a, whereby when the spring-actuated plunger moves outward the said shoulder 11a will engage the arm 30 and rotate the rock-shaft partially to carry the arm 31 from its supporting position t0 permit the locking device or catch to fall. The top and bottom ofthe draw-head are provided with openings corresponding to the configurations of the upper and lower portions of the locking device, which is cut away at one side at its lower portion to form a recess 22a to receive the offset 13 when the plunger moves outward. The locking device or catch remains supported in an elevated position until the outer portion of the offset 13 has passed beyond the said locking device, so that when the latter drops it will be supported upon the offset.

In order to enable the arm 31 to form a support for the vertically-movable locking device or catch, the said arm 31 is made of substantially triangular form, and its apex or projecting portion 312L is engaged by the bottom of the loop of the locking device or catch to force the end of the arm 3l.rearward sufficiently to provide a positive support for the said locking device.

The offset 18 of the locking device is provided with a recess 18a, adapted to receive the projecting portion formed by the notch 3b of the arm of the knuckle, whereby the arm and the locking device or catch will be securely interlocked, as illustrated in Fig. 4E of the accompanying drawings, when the draw-heads are coupled.

When the knuckle is closed, it may be readily opened and set for automatic coupling by lifting the locking device or catch, which is provided at its top with a loop or eye 15a, adapted to be connected with any suitable operating mechanism to enable the operation of uncoupling to be readily performed from the top and sides of a car or the platform of a coach. The upward movement of the locking device or catch carries the arm 3l of the rock-shaft beneath the lower end of the rib or iiange 19, as clearly7 illustrated in Fig. 7 of the accompanying drawings, and arranges the arm 30 in an upright position, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 3. The spring-actuated plunger then inoves'outward, engaging and opening the knuckle, and finally ecntacting with the arm 30 and swinging the arm 31 downward from beneath the flange or rib 19,thereby causing the locking device or catch to drop upon the oifset portion 13 of the plunger. The parts are then in position for automatic coupling, and when the springactuated plunger is forced inward by another draw-head-the knuckle thereof engages the bulged portion 5a of the arm of the knuckle 4 and closes the latter. The continued inward movement of the plunger withdraws the offset portion 13 from beneath the locking device or catch and the latter then drops and locks the knuckle in its closed position.

The upward movement of the locking device or catch is limited by a key 23, preferably in the form of a wedge and arranged in a suitable opening of the lower portion of the locking device or catch to prevent the same from being entirely withdrawn from the drawhead by the operating mechanism. l

The invention possesses the following advantages: The coupling is greatly simplified by constructing the locking device or catch so that it will operate the rock-shaft and obviate the necessity of employing a separate lifting-bar. This simplification results from the loop or opening at the bottom of the locking device and from the approximately triangular arm 31, which is carried rearward by its apex being engaged by the bottom of the loop. Also, the arm of the knuckle is interlocked with the recess of the offset 18 when the knuckle is under tension, and the recess 18a forms upper and lower shoulders and receives the projecting portion of the arm of the knuckle, so that there is no liability of the locking device or catch becoming accidentally disengaged from the arm of the knuckle through the vibration of the drawhead incident to the motion of a train.

Changes in the form, proportion, size, and the minor details of construction within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacriiicing any of the advantages of this invention.

What 1 claim is- 1. In a car-coupling, the combination of a draw-head, a knuckle, a rock-shaft provided with arms, a locking device or catch arranged to engage one of the arms of the rock-shaft to partially rotate the latter and carry such engaged arm into position for supporting the locking device or catch out of engagement with the knuckle, and a plunger arranged to tate the latter and cause the locking device or catch to drop, substantially as described.

2. In a car-coupling, the combination of a draW- head, a knuckle, a rock-shaft provided with an arm, a locking device or catch arranged to engage the arm of the rock-shaft to swing the same into a position for supporting it, and a plunger arranged to engage the IOO IIO

IZO

engage the other arm of the rock-shaft to rowith the knuckle, and a plunger arranged to engage the rock-shaft to swing the arm out of engagement With the locking device, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afflxed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

l ELMER B. REED.

Witnesses:

LOUIS KEsLnR, J. A. WHITTAKER. 

